Edgerunners

Drugs

In 2050, drugs are an ever-present part of everyday life – and some of them the last century wouldn’t have even recognised as drugs at all. New technologies have accelerated the introduction of more potent psychoactive drugs, new methods of drug administration, and new medications. Biotech advances have brought us to an age of designer drugs; of drugs designed to heal, harm, numb, improve or amuse both mind and body in an endless profusion. delivery methods are just as varied. There are pills, derms, nasal sprays, hypodermics, drinks and even artificial organs to make drugs inside the body. Advances in cybertechnology and computer/mind inetrfaces have added wireheading, brain-stimming, blank-chipping and other electronic forms of medecine and stimulation. In this section we’ll be giving a revised set of rules for dealing with drugs, addiction and withdrawal as well as a new set of rules for drug generation and pricing and a catalogue of common 2050 drugs for medical, recreational and other purposes.

Drug Rules

Drug Effects

When taking any drug, the user must make an effect roll; roll HT, modified by the drug’s Strength. A success by 5 or more indicates no effect, while lesser successes lower the duration from the default. Failure on the effect roll indicates increased duration. These effects are in addition to any specified by the drug’s design! See the chart below for duration effects.

Margin

Duration Multiplier

-5 or less

x2

-4

x1.8

-3

x1.6

-2

x1.4

-1

x1.2

0

x1

+1

x0.8

+2

x0.6

+3

x0.4

+4

x0.2

+5 or higher

No Effect

Overdoses

Taking more than one dose of a single drug (or combination of drugs with reinforcing effects) is a cheap way to effectively increase the drug’s Strength, but it’s dangerous! Taking two or more doses of a drug at once or one more dose before the previous dose has fully metabolized risks an overdose. This definitely includes taking two different drugs with the same effects! As with any poison, each doubling of dosage gives -2 to the effect roll – and as for all success rolls, a roll of 10 or more above effective skill is a critical failure. For instance, heroin has a Strength of 5, offering a HT-4 roll to resist. If a HT 10 man takes a double dose, his effective HT is 10 – 4 – 2 = 4. He overdoses on a 14 or higher.

An overdose has specific results based upon whichever effects were chosen for that drug. See drug descriptions for details. These effects occur in addition to any normal effects for a critical failure on the effect roll!

Under Dose

When taking a drug, a user may take less than the normally required dose. If they take less than half of the normal dose, there is no effect. If they take half of the normal dose, they make their effect roll at +4 – effectively, the drug is significantly reduced in Strength.